Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-20
CORNER STONE
OF the New Episcopal Church
La st Sunday Afternoon With Impos-
ing Ceremonies.

stone of the new Episcopal church no.
building at the northeast corner of Thir
street and Topeka avenue.
The evening was cool and pleasant and tn
street and grounds around and before th
building were filled The walls of the strue
ture is already completed to the first story
and upon the southwest corner had bee
erected platform upon which was seate
the excellent choir of st. Johns and upo
which the clergy performed the impressiv
services. After the singing by the choir
Bishop Thomas H. Vail, of the diocese o
Kansas, land Rev. c. ]. Adams, rector of tn
parish, advanced upon the platform AM
commenced the ceremony according to tn
ritual Of the church. A brief historica
sketch Of the parish was given by the be
loved rector In the, course of which b
said:
81 notice that | am to give brief histor
ical sketch of st. Johns Parish. When
look back over the past year | remember i
with pleasure ION the Goth of last Septem
Der W as called to the rectorship among
you. / have ever since tried to do my best
not only to- build up the church internally
| but have tried to build up the material In
terests as well.
l knew comparatively little about the par
ish before the year. Some time, however,
before the close Of the COS there was an En-
glish gentleman, now gone, but remembered
by some of the older residents, his name was
Hilton. This gentleman brought with him
from over the seas, deep and abiding love
for the Anglo Catholic church and
some time after his arrival here he
had himself appointed as lay reader, next
came clergyman. Then the Church disap-
peared altogether. Next we find that two
ladies appeared, and these with four others
formed themselves into a Guild. They
through various means made inquiries as to
whether there were any other Church people
in the place. They at last succeeded in find
formed the nucleus of the second start, and
to them we may say dates the foundation of
the present st. Johns parish. There have
been number of rectors. I was called
about one year ago. 1 can look back
and see people kind, charitable,
broad in thought, people who
opened their pocketbooks when assistance
was needed-a people who have responded
grandly to every request for funds. I want to
thank you for such noble generotity, 1 say
again that you have done grandly.
This is not simply to be an Episcopal
church. We are laying cornerstone now;
afterwhile the walls will go up; then win rise
high into the air the final. This grand
structure will stand for the completeness Of
truth and not for any narrow belief The
Lord Jesus Christ came to awaken new i'm
pulses and a new life. We ask you to &C
cept.. no narrow contracted belief, but the
great principles of the apostolic church.
Soon the arches will be sprung. Under
these the doors will swing open. Then
who will have right here? The red man
and the black as well as the white, the men
with fine apparel. The wearers of rags! The
man that thinks as you do? Why no, not
those only; but all honest men. This is then
,he cardinal truth of the Christian religion,
we are to believe that Christ died that hui
nanity might be saved and left His church
20 represent him!n
He then deposited in the tin box to be
placed in the corner stone number articles:
The holy bible, prayer book, hymnal, direct
,ry of Wichita, short and succient history
If the parish, the names of the officiating
Ter gy, the names of the vestry, the names
If the choir: Miss Effiie Cave, soprano: Mrs. |
Bell, alto; Mr.. B. B. Cushman, tenor: Mr. |
3ion Hull, basSo; the EAGLE and other city J
'apers, ritual of the laying OF the |
,orner stone and the coins of the republic. |
rhe corner stone was then set in place, and |
Bishop Vail striking it three times with the |
ammer repeated. ''In the name of the Fa-
her and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"
Afterwards he came further to the front of |
he platform. His grey hair and long grey |
beard, his clerical robes, kind face and ven
'ral appearance added still more to the sol |
'innity of the occasion, and the large aud |
ence listened with the closest attention to |
lis address.
81 shall. not detain you long 1t gives me
% much pleasure to be with you upon this |
by the striking contrast am re-
minded of the time years ago came here when |
here We're but three houses upon the present |
lite of your thriving and enterprising city. |
was entertained in one of them, a log |
house that stood upon the banks Of the Ar
KANSAS; across the river stood second; the |
bird was not far from here and was the |
hurch- Many here before me may remem-
'er that building-it was built by the cow
Joys and superintendent by the gentleman of
whom your rector has spoken, Mr..
Hilton. He was perhaps the /
lrst to conduct services there. |
have officiated at one service myself l i
an remember at one time when the man
Who had located in hut, came to me and
sked me to perform the burial service of
us dead child. The poor man was deeply |
ouched, and after the service he came to me
nd said: at is now ten years since l stood
within the portals of a church; rough as 1
m, sou have moved me; yor; have told me
f a new land and a new home for me to
each and to attain. l have resolved to
cad new life" See the contrast now.
'ehold this wonderful city which is to stay
nd perform its mission before all things
arthly are to pass away
Before we depart from here
It US remember that IS the
er stone of our Christian liberty,
f our government and the foundation of the
hurch of Sod We have laid the founda
ion stone of a church, perhaps but little IN
erstood, and which requires but belief in
he great fundamental principles of the ap-